The Christian Association of Nigeria has demanded a public apology from the Federal Inland Revenue Service over an Easter advert which the Christian body said it deemed offensive.
The FIRS, in an X (formerly Twitter) post, #FIRSNigeria, had shared a picture of a Point of Sale machine with the caption, “Jesus paid your debts, not your taxes.”The post had elicited reactions from Nigerians, particularly Christians, who condemned the post.
Although the post has been taken down, CAN’s National Director of National Issues and Social Welfare, Abimbola Ayuba, in a statement on Tuesday, called on President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Department of State Services to take cognisance of the incident and guide the FIRS in adhering to only messages that promote unity and peace.
The statement read in part, “In the light of recent events, we call upon the management of the FIRS to retract the message and offer a public apology for the distress caused.
“We also urge the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Department of State Services to take cognisance of this incident and to guide the FIRS in adhering to communication strategies that promote respect, unity, and cohesion.